Woohoo I just did a successful test run with my web cam and university-provided Zoom account, I can record myself running through a presentation for my next Business and Corporate Law assignment.
It’s a group assignment but to date I haven’t been able to get a response out of the other student, so I’ve decided to make a start on my own. The assignment is due in 10 days.
Last night I attended an online meeting with some students from my Theories of Work and Organisation class. The four of us formed a group for the next assignment for that class, in which we must design a questionnaire, conduct interviews, analyze and present the data in an essay. This assignment is due in three weeks.
I am getting to know more about the tools the university has provided us – Microsoft Office 365 and Zoom, we have everything we need except the technological know-how at the moment. But we’ll soon rectify that.
Both off work, we’ve been spending a lot more time in the garden with our dogs and a few other creatures. After a huge amount of rain this season the garden is bursting with life. The dogs are both elderly little ladies now, but still our special fur-babies. They had a short visit from Toby, a blue cattle dog from down the road who decided to explore the neighbourhood when his people had been called away unexpectedly.
So last month I went along to renew my first aider skills in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). I think the first aid certificate is every three years, and CPR is every 12 months. I was pleased to see the same trainer as last time and he seemed to remember me (or at least recognised that I had attended his class previously).
It was a smaller class than last year, but we were all there only for the CPR, not the full first aid course. About 7 or 8 people in the class. As an icebreaker we each explained to the class why we were there. Everyone except me was employed in work that required them to keep their CPR certification up to date. I explained simply that I wanted to keep my skills sharp in case I was in a situation where they were needed, and chances are that it would be for someone I cared about. This last point had really been driven into me in the class last year.
Most of the others were health workers who had done CPR classes many times before, and even administered CPR in real life, in one case. We had an initial practice run before the lesson began and not one of us got the technique absolutely right. This was an important lesson for us all and at the end of the class, the trainer told us to reflect on what went wrong in that initial run, to help reinforce the correct technique. In my case, I completely forgot about needing to tilt back the head to open the airway after checking it is clear. Even now I catch myself reflecting on this. Brilliant trainer.
I’m not seriously looking for work right now. I’m taking time out to study and live on my own terms, after many years of giving too many waking hours to work and an employer. It’s kind of scary to be knocking back opportunities at my age and seems really counter-intuitive to be saying no, but it’s what my gut instinct is telling me at the moment (here’s a rational explanation of why we should trust our gut).
A Federal election is looming and I decided to put in an expression of interest for temporary work with the Australian Electoral Commission. The day after I sent off my application I got a phone call offering two weeks of full-time work in the lead up to election day. If it had been part-time hours I would have had no hesitation in accepting, but I couldn’t commit to full-time work, even for such a short duration. I said no.
Second work offer came out of the blue, from my old employer, the hospice. Although I left my job last year, I’ve continued my volunteer role there as company secretary. I’ve been recording my volunteer hours and this has been useful in keeping a lid on the amount of time and energy I divert toward the hospice. Whilst the offer of paid contract work was tempting I knew that it would not be the end and I would be increasingly drawn into hospice business again – and it would be deeply dissatisfying in an external role, where I would have very little influence or control. So I declined the offer, while reiterating my willingness to continue as a volunteer.
As a volunteer I retain control over my own time and the tasks I am willing to do, which is a far better arrangement for me right now.
First assignment for my unit on Theories of Work and Organisation is due this weekend. We have to draw on the topics we’ve covered over recent weeks to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing nature of work has impacted on young workers and their career opportunities.
It’s an interesting situation. Many academics are saying the world is approaching a capitalist crossroad and that governments must step up to address the flaws in our economic system, exacerbated by the effect of globalism and technology on the labour market. Capitalism relies on consumption, but what will happen when too many people are living below the poverty line and household debt becomes unsustainable?
This is why the constant mantra of politicians is “jobs, jobs, jobs”. However the nature of work is changing. Young people in particular are finding it more difficult to get into regular work and we see high levels of casualisation and the rise of the ‘gig’ economy as business and government policy favour a ‘flexible’ workforce. One that forgoes basic conditions such as paid sick leave and in some cases, superannuation – when workers are no longer classed as employees but ‘contractors’.
The pitfalls of this situation were never more evident than in the recent public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time of border closures and lockdowns, ‘non-essential’ businesses were unable to trade. This affected many workers in service industries such as retail, food services, accommodation, construction, of which a high proportion are young workers. The Australian government implemented the JobKeeper allowance which helped keep businesses afloat and many people in jobs. However JobKeeper did not apply for casuals employed for less than 12 months, or others who earn their living through work platforms such as Uber and AirTasker.
Since borders have re-opened we are seeing immediate signs of a healthy recovery. The government’s stimulus measures have created a boom for business and unemployment is currently at record low levels. Some commentators are pointing out that the present low rates are temporary due to the effect of fewer foreign workers in Australia at the moment. As international workers return, so will competition for jobs.
What about the quality of the jobs? How do young workers tackle the challenges and leverage opportunities (if any)? I will elaborate in my assignment.
Much of the world watches with horror and condemnation as the Russian President’s forces pour into neighbouring Ukraine, in a bloody mission of punitive conquest. The bombs are taking out civilians as well as key installations. Over a million Ukrainians have fled the country, whilst thousands of young foreign workers and expatriates return to defend their homeland, using whatever weapons they can get their hands on. The justification for Russia’s military operation seems a flimsy pretext for naked aggression. If so concerned about the plight of pro-Russian Ukrainians along the eastern border, why not seek a diplomatic solution? Instead the Russian President has responded with a thousand-fold the bullying behaviour of which he accused the Ukrainian government.
Some are saying Ukraine is just the start and that the conflict will go beyond its borders, drawing in the NATO forces to develop into World War Three. I have difficulty believing this, I don’t think this is what the Russian President wants having reminded the world of Russia’s nuclear capabilities. I think that if the Russian campaign is successful, it is more likely to install a new pro-Russian government in Ukraine along the lines of neighbouring Belarus. In any case I don’t imagine that peace will be restored easily for the Ukrainian people.
At home in Australia we have joined other countries in issuing economic sanctions against Russia. The COVID-19 pandemic continues, with thousands of new cases daily (including the Prime Minister Scott Morrison) however the Omicron strain and high vaccination rates mean that our hospital systems are not being overwhelmed, and public health restrictions are gradually lifting. Western Australia is finally relaxing its border controls after being closed to the world for two years. Along the east coast of Australia we have been inundated with rain over the last week, which has caused terrible flooding around Queensland’s South-East and the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. Further storms are forecast which is hampering recovery efforts by the various “mud army” volunteer units, and exacerbating the effects of panic buying in the food stores.
War, pestilence, the hint of famine. At times it seems as if we have fallen into a deep apocalyptic nightmare however I know we are simply living through some historic events that will be taught in our schools someday.
